h outlandish tongue,
for I could not read a word of them,' answered Venturo; 'and so I
thought the best plan was to destroy them.' 'You acted wisely,' observed
Antonio; 'by the saints! it was a good thought of mine to introduce you
to my mother's lodger as a trustworthy messenger! If he only knew that
we had shared his gold, and were laughing at him for his credulity, he
would not be over well pleased. His purse appears to be pretty well
lined, and when we have got all our present business off our hands we
will devote our attention to the lodger. The Arno is deep and a
foreigner the less in the city will not be noticed.' 'Not at all,'
answered Venturo; 'but let us now hasten to join our companions. At what
time are the officers of the inquisition to visit the cottage?' 'They
are no doubt already in the neighborhood,' replied Antonio, 'and will
pounce upon their victims as soon as young Francisco leaves the place.
Another set of officers are after the Marquis of Orsini.' The two
miscreants then departed, continuing their conversation in a low tone as
they went along the street, but I overheard no more."

"The wretches!" exclaimed the grand vizier, in an excited voice. "But
vengeance will light upon them yet!"

"Heaven grant that they may not go unpunished!" said Demetrius. "Your
highness may imagine the consternation with which I had listened to the
development of the damnable plots then in progress; but I nevertheless
experienced a material solace in the fact that accident had thus
revealed to me the whole extent of the danger which menaced those whom
your highness held dear. Without pausing to deliberate, I resolved, at
all risks, to proceed at once to the cottage, and, if not too late, warn
your aunt and lovely sister of the terrible danger which menaced them.
Nay, more--I determined to remove them immediately from Florence--that
very night--without an unnecessary moment's delay. Darting along the
streets, as if my speed involved matters of life and death, I succeeded
in passing the two villains, Venturo and Antonio, before they had
entered the sphere of the brilliant illuminations of the casinos in the
vale of Arno; and I beard one say to the other, 'There's some cowardly
knave who has just done a deed of which he is no doubt afraid.'
Convinced by this remark that they suspected not who the person that
passed them so rapidly was, I hurried on with increasing speed, and
likewise with augmented hope to be enabled to s